1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for bracing pipes and other loads, suspended below floors and ceilings, against sway and seismic disturbances, and, in particular, to a sway brace attachment for firmly gripping a building support, such as a beam, and other flanged structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a multitude of products in the market utilized by building and plumbing contractors for bracing and supporting pipes, ducts, sprinkler systems, fans, air-conditioners and other loads below floors and ceilings. These products include clamps, braces, hooks, straps, plates, brackets, among other items. Typically, one end of a brace is attached to the load while the other end is attached to a beam, or other support structure, on a floor or a ceiling. Due to the variety of possible beam types, sizes and orientations, as well as the variety of loads that need to be braced, the mechanism that attaches the brace to the beam should have a high load capacity and be capable of mounting on various types, sizes and locations of a flange.
Although such attachment mechanisms exist, including sway brace attachments sold by Tolco, a brand of Nibco, Inc., the assignee of the present application, a demand exists for sway brace attachments having equivalent or improved performance relative to existing attachments. Thus, there is a need for a sway brace attachment which can not only withstand substantial loads, but is also simply and expeditiously installable and adjustable, and is preferably economical to manufacture, thereby being desirably inexpensive in cost and in use.